Vice President Kamala Harris has decided not to attend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to Congress. This decision appears to distance her from the Biden administration’s heavily pro-Israel stance amid the ongoing Gaza conflict. This move aligns her more closely with the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, which has been critical of the administration's support for Israel's actions in Gaza.
The Biden administration’s position on the war in Gaza has stirred significant controversy within the Democratic Party, particularly among its progressive members. According to the Washington Examiner, by opting out of Netanyahu’s speech, Harris could be attempting to mitigate progressive backlash and present a more balanced approach to the conflict.
Several progressive Democrats have also chosen to boycott Netanyahu’s speech, further highlighting the internal party divisions over U.S. policy towards Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ben Cardin will preside over Netanyahu’s address in Harris’s place. Cardin, who is set to retire at the end of the year, also serves as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly's special representative on antisemitism, racism, and intolerance.
Instead of attending the speech, Harris is expected to meet with Netanyahu privately during his visit. President Biden is also anticipated to meet with the Israeli leader. While Harris has supported Biden’s overall stance toward Israel, she has echoed his limited criticisms of Israeli tactics in the conflict.
Harris, addressing the situation in Gaza in December, emphasized the importance of how Israel conducts its defense operations. She acknowledged the devastating impact on innocent Palestinians and the distressing images and videos emerging from Gaza.
Harris remains closely aligned with the Biden administration’s policies despite these remarks. Sources indicate that she and Biden are united in their approach to Israel, with no significant policy divergences.
During her Senate tenure, Halie Soifer, Harris’s former national security adviser, reinforced this alignment, asserting that there is no daylight between Harris and Biden regarding their stance on Israel.
The decision by Harris not to attend Netanyahu’s address reflects broader fractures within both U.S. and Israeli politics. Just as Biden has faced criticism domestically over his handling of the Gaza conflict, Netanyahu has encountered significant dissent within Israel regarding his leadership and policies.
Netanyahu’s visit to the U.S. comes amid heightened tensions and scrutiny over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His address to Congress and the reactions it provokes are likely to underscore the complexities and divisions surrounding this enduring geopolitical issue.
As Harris navigates these challenges, her actions signal a careful balancing act between maintaining party unity and addressing the diverse perspectives within the Democratic Party. The vice president’s decisions in this context will continue to be closely watched as the situation in Gaza evolves and as U.S.-Israel relations remain a focal point of international diplomacy.